A leading anchor on Russian state television on Sunday described Russia as the only country capable of turning the United States into “radioactive ash”, in an incendiary comment at the height of tensions over the Crimea referendum.

“Russia is the only country in the world realistically capable of turning the United States into radioactive ash,” anchor Dmitry Kiselyov said on his weekly news show on state-controlled Rossiya 1 television.

Kiselyov made the comment to support his argument that the United States and President Barack Obama were living in fear of Russia led by President Vladimir Putin amid the Ukraine crisis. (Read More)

He went on to mention opinion polls showing Americans believe Putin is a stronger leader than Obama, and asked “Why is Obama phoning Putin all the time and talking to him for hours on end?” He made his comments in front of a graphic of a large mushroom cloud.

While this wasn’t a direct threat, it could certainly be interpreted that way. Kind of makes you miss the old “cowboy diplomacy” everyone complained so much about. Now we have a Commander in Chief who spends his time talking about the jeans he wears.